Central Drug Store in Excelsior, a cherished local institution for 116 years, is set to close on July 15, provoking a wave of nostalgia among its dedicated customers. Owner Jerry Tonelli reflects on the store's rich history, where love, family, and friendship flourished across generations. The business, which began as a one-stop-shop, has remained largely unchanged despite the city's rapid transformation. As Tonelli prepares to retire, he bids farewell to the community and the legacy built by his family over six decades at the store.
The drugstore has been here, on the corner of Mission and Santa Rosa for 116 years, barely changing while the rest of the city has transformed at a rapid pace.
Despite Central Drug's legacy business status, the landmark is more than an Excelsior institution. Generations have found love, family and friendship behind the time-warped counters of Central Drug.
As it prepares to close on July 15, its owners and customers are feeling nostalgic for all that has transpired at Central Drug: life, love and even death.
It is love, however, that played the biggest role in its history. Tonelli's parents met and fell in love behind the drugstore counters in the 1940s.
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